Archive for June 19th, 2012

An 80,000-square foot extension to the Museum the Nature Research Center (NRC) has been designed to bring research scientists and their work into the public eye. The Museum hopes that it will demystify research and inspire a new generation of scientists to follow in the footsteps of those whose work it showcases.

The centrepiece of the NRC – both physically and conceptually – is the SECU Daily Planet, a hemispherical dome that uses multimedia technology to link the virtual and natural worlds together. At regular intervals during the day, scientists will use the 40ft high, high-definition curved screen of the dome to present their latest research and its impact on current issues. This marks something of a departure from the majority of domed environments intended for consumer presentations, where the content follows a pre-arranged pattern that does not vary from day to day.

“The system design is unique,” confirms Ian Macpherson, Director, 7thSense. “We supplied a single Delta server to drive all six of the Christie projectors for the main display wall, with 2K x 2K uncompressed media resolution and real-time warp-and-blend to make a single, continuous canvas. A second Delta server then feeds another timeline into the live inputs of the first one. This allows the show-control system to drop media in real time onto this server as Timeline B, while Timeline A is playing the primary Delta.

“In effect, this means that both Delta servers can be re-programmed on the fly while the audience is watching the show, depending on the needs of the NRC and without any of the operators requiring any show-programming expertise.”

A seamless transition between the two timelines, known internally as Ambient Mode, is ensured by the provision of luma-key transition movies created by batwin+robin productions – which was responsible for the creative concept and content execution at the Daily Planet. 7thSense worked closely with b+r throughout, with AV systems contractor Electrosonic and show-control provider Smart Monkeys also playing pivotal roles in the realisation of the project.

As well as Ambient Mode, NRC staff can select other modes from the Smart Monkeys GUI which allows a choice of different mixes of live presentation windows and backgrounds. This allows a flexible use of the display system, moving from randomised playback to a more interactive experience.

Another unusual aspect of the Daily Planet is that its screen can be viewed from any one of three floors within the dome. The creative and technology teams have used this to their advantage, adding four Barco movable video projectors which move around the thin bands between the floors at the rear of the space, creating a composite video and lighting projection that extends way off the screen and onto other parts of the Planet’s architecture. Both Barco projectors are driven by a single Delta server , fully synchronised to the main show-control system.

“This exhibit pushes Delta very hard,” adds 7thSense’s Macpherson. “We have some 2,700 resources on our timeline, with additional real-time inserted media and up to four live captured inputs on-screen from various live presenters within the dome.

“The randomised and real-time inserted nature of the content means the Delta system has to provide seamless playback, even though it’s transitioning from one server to another, so that the ‘hidden’ server can be queued up for its next topic.

“There is a constant two-way communication between Delta and the Smart Monkeys show controller, and many new features were added to Delta specifically for this project.”

“The show programming was accomplished by 7thSense and Smart Monkeys over four weeks of intense on-site activity,” adds Gary Barnes Project Manager of Electrosonic. “In total the Delta servers are providing six channels of HD video and 16 channels of audio, together with time-accurate commands to trigger lighting and the selection of the next show.

“Since the Daily Planet opened, the systems have performed faultlessly, and we could not have asked for more conscientious and more creative partners than 7thSense Design. Between us we have created a unique experience, which combines the best of immersive multi-image technology with the freshness of a live and spontaneous theatre show. Seeing is believing!”

www.7thsensedesign.com

World’s most affordable uncompressed 4:4:4 media server

7thSense Design announces the arrival of Delta Nano – a new, affordable media server that delivers full uncompressed 4:4:4 video playback at a freshly accessible price point.

Based on the core technology that drives 7thSense’s existing Delta range, Delta Nano comes in either a 1U rack-mount or small form-factor box chassis, and can store between 5 and 20 minutes of 4:4:4 video data. The unit has a single DVI/HDMI output and supports all standard frame-rates up to 30fps.

Ian Macpherson, Managing Director, 7thSense, says the new player takes the company into new market sectors. “Delta Nano is the perfect solution in places where people watch just a few minutes of looping media, for example to support a museum exhibit, to run information points in theme parks and other attractions, or to drive kiosks in showroom and retail digital signage applications.

“For this reason we have kept everything simple. Delta Nano has a new, web-based user interface which is easy to use, so content houses can simply copy their uncompressed TGA sequence output from After Effects or similar straight into the box, rather than go through laborious encode processing for MPG.

“Delta Nano is not aimed at multi-screen projection – that’s the job of our flagship Delta product – but you can sync two or more Nanos together, so that multiple kiosks can play the same show synchronously if required. There are also real-time warp and blend functions for display matching.”

Delta Nano delivers stereo audio alongside the video content, while its built-in software – accessible in a browser-based GUI via the product’s built-in TCP/IP connection – offers an easy to use interface for rapid show creation. Movies, still images, sound and text can all be easily combined and edited in a familiar non-linear editing workflow.

Delta Nano made its global debut at the InfoComm show in Las Vegas in June, where 7thSense supported the booth of one of its long-standing technology partners, Norway’s projectiondesign on booth N1351.

“This amazing little device delivers uncompressed HD video and show creation – all from a box that takes up the minimum of rack space or simply sits on the back of a flat-panel display.”

7thSense will also be showcasing real-world applications of Delta Nano at the company’s freshly opened Experience Centre, based at its newly opened International headquarters.

Qube Cinema CTO Rajesh Ramachandran.

DCI-Compliant XP-D Server Provides Upgrade Options to Stereoscopic HFR 3D and 4K


Burbank, CA: June 19, 2012… Qube Cinema announced the release of version 3.0 server software for its digital cinema servers. The new digital cinema server software platform is used in both the Qube XP-I as well as the XP-D, which recently passed the DCI Compliance Test Plan (CTP).


The new modularized version 3.0 software provides a common user experience for setup, operation and maintenance of both XP-D and XP-I servers. The flexible architecture provides XP-D owners with an easy upgrade path to the XP-I server and the Qube Xi 4K Integrated Media Block (IMB) in order to accommodate 4K resolution and higher frame rates. The 3.0 software supports stereoscopic 3D systems, as well as accessibility devices such as on-screen titles, closed captioning, and systems for the visually impaired.

“Gaining DCI compliance for the XP-D and its 3.0 software also helps validate the XP-I server,” said Rajesh Ramachandran, president and CTO of Qube Cinema. “This new system software offers exhibitors a smooth transition to 4K and HFR as DCI specs evolve and new theatrical content is released.”


Visitors to CineEurope can visit Qube at booth #301 at CineEurope. For more information about the Qube XP-I server and Xi IMB or to schedule a demo at CineEurope, contact Nigel Dennis at nigel@qubecinema.com or +44 208 1445661


About Qube Cinema, Inc.
Qube Cinema is an international manufacturer of Digital Cinema technology and mastering solutions. A subsidiary of India-based Real Image Media Technologies, Qube Cinema draws on decades of experience in media, cinema and entertainment. The company is committed to creating a seamless Digital Cinema environment for exhibitors, filmmakers and postproduction companies with technologies that are innovative, flexible and cost-effective. Qube Cinema’s product lines include the Qube XP series of digital cinema servers, Qube Xi 4K Integrated Media Block, QubeMaster software solutions, and Qube KeySmith KDM generation system. Qube Cinema, Inc. is based in Burbank, California. For more information, visit www.qubecinema.com.

Aardman Animation and STORY combine talents to create a new national TV spot for Serta.

Aardman Animation and STORY teamed up for a new commercial for Serta in which the brand’s award-winning Counting Sheep break into a mattress factory in hopes of committing the “Perfect Sleeper” crime.

Conceived by Doner of Southfield Michigan, Mattress Heist marks the return of the animated Counting Sheep created by award winning animation studio Aardman, which first appeared in the company’s ads more than a decade ago. In this case, the furry animals break into a factory showroom in a middle-of-the-night caper to “see what Serta’s been up to.” Rifling through company files and computers, they learn that Serta’s Perfect Sleeper is “the only official mattress of the National Sleep Foundation” and has been shown to cure common sleep problems. In hopes of retaining their jobs as sleep inducers to insomniacs, the sheep make off with a mattress on their backs. more

Hollywood, CA, June 19, 2012 – Hammer Creative, a Videogame Creative Agency specializing in all aspects of A/V, has conceived, produced, edited, and provided post production for a new, four trailer marketing campaign promoting client THQ’s new Darksiders II videogame. The announcement was made by Hammer Creative’s Executive Creative Director Scott Hayman.

Creative Director/Producer Brett Hocker and the Hammer team spearheaded the new campaign, first conceiving and story-boarding the four trailers behind Darksiders II, including three that are fully CGI, along with a highly ambitious, live action trailer book-ended by CGI content. Hammer then retained The Ebeling Group and director Abdel Abonamous to shoot the live action trailer, a highly cinematic piece (running time 2:17) which was filmed on location in Prague earlier this year.

Entitled “Last Sermon,” the live action trailer begins with the scene of an Eastern European city lying in ruin, but with an old church still proudly standing amidst the rubble. Inside the church, actor James Cosmo, star of HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” appears as a Minister, delivering a “last sermon” to his congregants, all of whom stand on the brink of death. “Before the eyes of God, we have been judged…and we have been found guilty,” Cosmo declares, with smoke from his bitter cold breath pouring from his mouth. “Death awaits us all, just as Revelations proclaimed it would.”

We hear the monstrous screams of demons emanating from outside the church, as stained glass windows shatter, a chandelier falls from the ceiling and an enormous cross crashes to the ground. The Minister, reading from the Book of Revelations, screams, “The great day of his wrath has come! And who shall be able to stand!” Suddenly, an eerie quiet takes hold of the church, until a bloody sword comes shooting through the church’s front door. The Minister peers through the hole left by the sword, and sees their savior – Death – standing as the last defense before an army of demons. At the end of the piece, we see the logo for Darksiders II and the tagline: “Death Lives.”

To view the “Last Sermon” trailer, please visit:

http://www.facebook.com/Darksiders

And then Click “LIKE”

Said Hayman, “Brett Hocker wrote and produced this dramatic piece for ‘Darksiders II,’ and truly was the creative visionary behind this unique trailer. Our goal with this campaign was to build up the mystique of the ‘Death’ game character. Gamers aren’t sure if ‘Death’ is a hero or a villain – whether he’s good or evil. We don’t really know what his intentions are, so we wanted to convey a bit of intrigue about this unique character. For the ‘Last Sermon’ trailer, we wanted to add a human element to the story of ‘Darksiders,’ which takes place mostly in Heaven or Hell—there’s very little game activity on Earth. The scene of a Minister in a decimated church delivering his literal ‘last sermon’ was our way of presenting what would likely happen here on Earth, before the actual apocalypse were to take place.”

Adds Hocker, “The live action trailer was conceived as a companion piece of fiction inspired by the ‘Darksiders’ story, bringing real life ‘humans’ into the game’s world. We shot the piece for a week inside a 200-year old church near Prague, with no heat, during winter. The ‘cold smoke’ you see coming out of James Cosmo’s mouth during his speech was real! James was the perfect actor for this part, since he has such a larger than life presence and a wonderful, commanding voice. We felt if anyone would stand up to ‘Death’ during Mankind’s final hour in real life, it would be him.”

Director Abdel Abonamous said, “What attracted me to the ‘Last Sermon’ script was its deliberate focus on the collateral damage in the ‘Darksiders’ universe. Outside the church, Hell, in a very literal sense, is breaking loose, but in our film, we decided to focus on the reactions of a huddled congregation who barely even understand what’s happening to them, let alone the bigger picture that the game’s plot paints. This storytelling method takes a huge event and transforms it into a low-level personal experience, making us, as viewers, feel like helpless bystanders. The location in Prague we found was great, both visually and in terms of the emotions it elicited. We shot in the very deep winter, and my goal was to make sure that James Cosmo and the extras felt a deep desolation. James was the perfect choice for the role of Priest, both for his physicality and for the deeply human element that shimmers from behind his eyes.”

“Right from my first conversations with the Hammer Creative team, I knew that we shared the same feelings about this material, and together we branched out from the core of the concept to add more subtle facets to it. Brett, Scott, and I were always following the same emotional guideline — this type of understanding is sometimes hard to come by with creative collaborators, and I’m thankful for every moment of it,” Abonamous concludes.

Jim Huntley, vice president of marketing, THQ, adds, “What Hammer Creative did so effectively in producing ‘The Last Sermon’ was to deliver something directly targeted to the Darksiders audience. After viewing this trailer, fans will be acutely aware of the massive scope of the apocalypse that humankind is experiencing in the world of the game.”

Hammer Creative also produced additional behind the scenes content promoting Darksiders II, and supplied all of the post production for the campaign, including editorial, motion graphics, original music, sound design and audio post, at its Hollywood facilities. Additionally, Hammer retained Sydney, Australia-based Plastic Wax Animation to produce the CGI featured within the four Darksiders II trailers.

ABOUT DARKSIDERS II:

Awakened by the End of Days, Death, the most feared of the legendary Four Horsemen embarks on a quest to redeem his brother’s name. Become the terrifying force which everything fears but nothing can escape.

The original Darksiders®, released in January 2010, received critical acclaim including the “Best Fantasy Game 2010” award from IGN. Darksiders followed the story of WAR, wrongly accused of starting the apocalypse, on a quest to reclaim lost honor and take revenge on those who wronged him.

Darksiders II follows the exploits of DEATH, one of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse, in an action-packed tale that runs parallel to the events in the original Darksiders game. This epic journey propels DEATH through various light and dark realms as he tries to redeem his brother WAR.

Darksiders II is scheduled to be available for console and PC in August 2012 with a WiiU™ version coming at a later date, for more information check www.Darksiders.com.

ABOUT THQ:

THQ Inc. (NASDAQ: THQI) is a leading worldwide developer and publisher of interactive entertainment software. The company develops its products for all popular game systems, personal computers and wireless devices. Headquartered in Los Angeles County, California, THQ sells product through its global network of offices located throughout North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. More information about THQ and its products may be found at www.thq.com. THQ, Darksiders and their respective logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of THQ Inc.

Microsoft, Xbox, Xbox 360, Xbox LIVE, the Xbox logos, and the Xbox LIVE logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries.

“PlayStation” is a registered trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
Nintendo trademarks and copyrights are properties of Nintendo.

All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

ABOUT HAMMER CREATIVE:

Originally launched in Hollywood in l988 by Mark Pierce as a motion picture marketing and trailer company, today Hammer Creative is one of the leading Videogame Creative Agencies in Los Angeles specializing in all aspects of A/V Production. The agency conceives and implements marketing campaigns on
behalf of videogame title releases by such major game publishers as THQ, Warner Bros. Games, EA, Ubisoft, Sony Online, Sega, Capcom, Activision, Square Enix and Zynga.

Hammer Creative’s work was prominently displayed during 2012’s E3 Conference. This included promotional trailers for one of the very first promos demonstrating Nintendo’s Wii U Console (illustrated by “Batman: Arkham City”/WB Games,) as well as trailers for “Doom 3: BFG Edition” (Bethesda Softworks,) “Lost Planet 3” (Capcom,) “SimCity Social” for Facebook (EA,)
“DC Universe Online” (WB Games/DC Comics/Sony Online Entertainment,) and “Lego: Batman 2” (WB Games/TtGames/DC Comics.) To view this work:

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL56F3F0C91B36B4D0

Other recent videogame marketing campaigns produced by Hammer Creative include those promoting THQ’s “Saints Row: The Third” and “Lollipop Chainsaw” for Warner Bros. Games; trailers for “Star Wars: The Old Republic” appearing on social media sites, and additional gaming trailers appearing on social media sites, including Zynga.com.

A cinematic approach to its A/V presentations, combined with a proven history of producing campaigns for entertainment brands featuring compelling, visual and narrative storytelling, have allowed Hammer Creative to evolve during the past 25 years from its origin within the motion picture marketing culture, to its current position today as a leading creative agency within the videogame marketing space.

The winner of numerous MI6, Telly, and Golden Trailer Awards, Hammer Creative employs a full-time staff of over 25 creative directors, creative editors, sound designers, motion graphics artists, producers and music supervisors. The company is located at 6311 Romaine Street, Hollywood, CA 90038. The phone is: 323/ 606-4700, and the web is www.hammercreative.com

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Thor, represented in the U.S. by Madheart, has directed a new spot for T-Mobile in which hundreds of people grab magenta-handled clubs and engage in a game of snow golf. Conceived by G7 and produced by Dynamo Film, the spot shows people taking part in a T-Mobile event in an urban park, competing for prizes by hitting golf balls (like the clubs styled in the brand’s trademark magenta) around a golf course laid out in the snow. A few of the golfers have skills, but most are novices, with one winning the grand prize after her ball bounces off a tree and into a hole. more

MPC LA is pleased to announce the addition of their second colorist, Ricky Gausis, to bolster a US color grading department headed by Creative Director Mark Gethin. Gausis, who has worked at MPC for 10 years, has developed an individual style influenced by Jean-Clément Soret in London.

Gausis boasts a host of high-grade commercials and music videos to his credit, including Florence and the Machine’s Spectrum music video, a study in contrasts between vibrant color and muted stage scenes directed by David LaChapelle. His recent ad work includes the visually fascinating Strip Away 2 spot for Nissan and a heavily lauded piece for Red Bull directed by Pete Candeland at Passion Pictures. On previous visits to the LA office, Gausis worked with directors such as Matt Dilmore of Epoch, Jeremy Konner of Partizan, and Todd Cole of the Directors Bureau, to name a few.

“Ricky, while already an accomplished colorist in London, is looking forward to establishing himself as a go-to talent in the States,” stated MPC’s Head of Telecine Development, Ed Koenig. “He’s capable of handling basically anything that walks through the door.”

Gausis’ arrival marks the beginning of an expansion to the color department at MPC LA, which has offered color grading in the US since opening its Santa Monica office in 2008. As Mark Gethin continues to make an incredible impact on the market through his work with A-list directors, the studio is ramping up its West Coast offering to accommodate expanded demand for their services with a second grading room.

MPC LA’s grading talent will be supported by a solid hardware base that focuses on offering its clients every facet of the grading world, from Full Data Management Processing with MPC Data Labs technology, Projection DI Feature Grading and Standard Dolby Screen Grading Environments, all situated on the fourth floor of the studio’s state-of-the-art central Santa Monica offices.

Visit MPC

About MPC
MPC is an award winning VFX and Digital studio servicing the advertising, motion picture and television industries. From its London, New York, Santa Monica, Vancouver, and Bangalore offices, MPC’s dynamic and diverse team delivers industry-defining VFX, animation, motion graphics, color grading, production, projection mapping, social and mobile application development, online advertising, data management, software R&D and pipeline development.

With a trio of integrated divisions, MPC utilizes a unified approach that drives the use of existing or newly created assets across the whole range of today’s media landscape. MPC Creative handles client projects directly with top-notch directing, CG animation and character design. MPC FX Studio is a dedicated corps of graphic and digital designers who bring clients’ visions to life. MPC Data Lab processes the content and makes it available for editing on demand. MPC is a Technicolor Company.

moving-picture.com

More info: TRUST 646 452 3388 (NY) 310 451 5153 (LA) trustcollective.com

Elastic Director Andy Hall emerged from a field of 2,500 entries from 80 countries to take top honors in the Advertising/Promotional Film category at the Annecy International Film Festival, the world’s premier authority on animated films. Hall, a founding member of Elastic and head of CG at boutique VFX studio a52, teamed up with BBDO on the effort, which promotes Red Cross’ gift donation program.

Stuff is a claymation adventure set in a whitewashed world, where the only color is the red-accented letters representing the protagonist’s stuff. As the stuff is hauled between stores and his home, jammed into closets, and piled into boxes, a narrator wonders at the stress of getting and giving so much stuff each holiday season. Flustered and inspired by the Red Cross’ drive to encourage donations in lieu of gifts, the man packs the words “hope,” “help” and “compassion” into a box and ships it off to someone in need.

This Red Cross work is the latest in a series of high-profile spots for Hall, including One Show Design Award-winning work for Nike, spots for Honda and Adidas, and a slew of awards for his Newport Beach Film Festival opener. Hall is currently in development on an animated television show and two feature film projects.

Visit elastic

About elastic
With studios in Los Angeles and New York, Elastic is home to a group of filmmakers that have found their voice through years of experience across an impressive range of visual mediums. With the support of award-winning sister companies Rock Paper Scissors and a52 VFX, the directors at Elastic are unconstrained by technique and have the freedom to support their vision by tapping into the talents and unique resources that have made each of these companies excel. Every director brings with them a history and understanding that influences their work and defines their craft. For these directors, their years of experience and love for animation, editorial and visual effects have culminated in the creation of Elastic.

More info: TRUST 646 452 3388 (NY) 310 451 5153 (LA) trustcollective.com

Having established a dominance in the North American market with remote monitoring and servicing of more than 2,500 locations and 110,000 devices, Christie® Managed Services is now expanding upon the world stage. Using its growing international cinema partnerships, it will bring the Network Operations Center (NOC) and its proven technology and solutions-driven service to the global exhibition community.
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Initial partnership announcements include Time Antaeus Media Group, a digital cinema industry leader with whom Christie launched China’s largest commercial d-cinema deployment in 2010; DOR International, a Christie certified reseller that designs, installs and maintains cinemas and professional audio video systems throughout Mexico; and the Independent Cinema Association of Australia (ICAA), the association of record for Australian independent cinemas.
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The Christie NOC is a 24/7/365 facility where experienced Christie technicians remotely monitor clients’ visual display systems, making sure they are running smoothly, getting timely maintenance and receiving any necessary software upgrades. Christie Managed Services and its new NOC partners will provide the same network operations center services that are currently offered in North America to China, Mexico and Australasia. These NOC services include comprehensive remote monitoring and management of devices, along with technical phone support solutions to local exhibitors around the world. Christie will accomplish this by extending the core functionalities of its NOC to support customers and systems in the local languages, utilizing Christie’s proven suite of tools.
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“As the world goes digital, the need for comprehensive technical support becomes more critical,” observed Jack Kline, president and COO of Christie Digital Systems, USA. “The NOC is a Christie innovation that anticipated the needs of the market in the early stages of the digital cinema revolution to ensure that our customers received, not just the latest, quality products, but also expert technical support for those products. Now we are ready to bring it to our customers worldwide.”
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“The Christie NOC has been the backbone of service for the exhibition industry in North America,” noted Kathryn Cress, vice president, global & corporate marketing, Christie. “With Christie commanding more than 50 percent of the world’s digital cinema installations, it is a logical evolution to bring our technical expertise to our customers regardless of location. This includes providing them with the same high standards of service and commitment to our customers that helped us dominate the North American digital cinema market.”
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Time Antaeus and Christie Form Universal Cinema Services (UCS) in China
A collaboration that began at the 2008 Beijing Summer Games, when Time Antaeus purchased 120 Christie CP2000-ZX models to power the spectacular opening and closing ceremonies, the Christie and Time Antaeus relationship has blossomed into a highly productive partnership, now working together to lead China’s cinema revolution that has seen the market grow dramatically in recent years.
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The new Network Operations Center joint venture with Universal Cinema Services will be the country’s first service center modeled upon the North America-based NOC. It will offer hardware, software, remote monitoring, and local parts availability, making the partnership one of the most efficient and reliable in the region.
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“Working with a partner you can trust is very important in a rapidly evolving marketplace like digital cinema,” says Mr. Zhang Baoquan, Chairman of the Board for Time Antaeus Media Group. “Our relationship with Christie has been a long and highly rewarding one. The introduction of the NOC in China shows they stand behind the products they sell, and further proves their loyalty in helping us better serve our digital cinema customers.”
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“We are pleased to work with Time Antaeus to introduce China’s first NOC fully modeled on the proven technology of our North American facility. This unique new partnership will further increase the diversity and depth of services we can provide our customers in the Asia/Pacific region,” said Sean James, vice president, managed services at Christie.
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Mexico’s DOR Internacional and Christie
In business for more than 14 years, DOR Internacional, headquartered in Guadalajara, is at the vanguard of design, sales, installation and maintenance of cinemas and professional audio video systems throughout Mexico. Along with its partners, it has installed more than 300 Christie digital cinema systems. Now, through its partnership with Christie, DOR Internacional will develop a Network Operations Center in Mexico City, following the North American model.
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“Christie has provided us with the equipment and conducted training; and now, we are completing the installation of permanent connectivity in order to open the facility and provide the full range of tools, technical support and functionality to current customers as well as all the new ones,” said Jacques Dornbierer Hogan, Director General and Chief Executive Officer, DOR Internacional SA DE C.V.
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Independent Cinema Association of Australia and Christie (ICAA)
ICAA members toured the Christie NOC in Los Angeles during CinemaCon, entering into the final phase to establish a node of the facility in Australia to support its members’ digital cinemas installations in Australia and New Zealand.
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As part of the partnership, Christie has provide ICAA with extensive training and additional services through Christie Managed Services to take the benefits they provide members to the next level.
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“The Christie NOC is a cutting edge facility that allows Christie technicians to spot potential trouble and solve it with the utmost speed and competency,” noted ICAA chief executive officer, Adrianne Pecotic. “We are pleased to join in partnership with Christie because their cinema expertise is essential in helping our members make the transition to digital as seamless and painless as possible.”
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“ICAA is a visionary organization whose digital cinema solutions embrace all independent exhibitors in Australia seeking to transition from 35mm film to digital cinema technology,” continued James. “It is a testament to their commitment to their members that they have now stepped up to address the critical need of making the digital transition as efficiently and as cost effectively as possible, and to be ready to support that transition with the highest level of service available anywhere.”
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Added James: “We are looking forward to creating many new partnerships, and to working with the tens of thousands of exhibitors across the globe that recognize the importance of having a rock-solid foundation of technical support beneath them as they launch their next phase of service to moviegoers in the digital cinema frontier.”

(Hollywood, CA) The American Society of Cinematographers (ASC) has chosen three winners for this year’s ASC Andrew Laszlo Student Heritage Awards. The students reign from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, Art Center College of Design and Northwestern University. A ceremony announcing the winners in each category was held at the ASC Clubhouse on June 16. The awards are designed to showcase the artistic abilities of the next generation of filmmakers, with a focus on their cinematographic abilities.

The winners and honorable mentions are:

Graduate

WINNER: “Josephine and the Roach” by Damian Horan, University of Southern California School of Cinematic Arts
HONORABLE MENTION: “Narcocorrido” by Benjamin Kitchens, American Film Institute
HONORABLE MENTION: “The Bullet Catcher” by John Walstad MacDonald, Chapman University, Dodge College of Film and Media Arts

Undergraduate

WINNER: “Aexis” by H.R. McDonald, Art Center College of Design
HONORABLE MENTION: “The Drop” by Nicholas Wiesnet, Chapman University, Dodge College of Film and Media Arts
HONORABLE MENTION: “Reclamation” by Adam Lee, Loyola Marymount University, School of Film and TV

Documentary

WINNER: “Language of the Unheard” by Travis LaBella, Northwestern University*
(*only one nominee in category)

Prior to the awards ceremony, the ASC hosted an invite-only screening of all the student films at the Clubhouse for its membership and industry supporters.

Each year, the ASC Heritage Award is rededicated in memory of an individual who advanced the art and craft of cinematography. A Hungarian native, Andrew Laszlo, ASC was a talented cinematographer whose film and television career spanned 50-plus years, amassing such credits as You’re a Big Boy Now, The Night They Raided Minsky’s, The Out of Towners, The Owl and the Pussycat, The Warriors, Southern Comfort, First Blood, Streets of Fire, Innerspace, and Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. He earned Emmy(r) nominations for his work on Shogun and The Man Without a Country. Laszlo dedicated many years to teaching future directors of photography at workshops, seminars and schools around the world, and authored several books, including It’s A Wrap, a compilation of his experiences on movie sets around the world.

To qualify, professors at film schools recommended one student for each category from their school, who then submitted their film for judging. A Blue Ribbon panel of ASC members judged the 40-plus entries.

The ASC Heritage Award was inaugurated for the purpose of encouraging filmmakers to pursue careers in cinematography. Past winners have gone on to prolific careers.

For additional information about the ASC, visit www.theasc.com, or join ASC on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/the.ASC and American Cinematographer magazine fan page at http://www.facebook.com/AmericanCinematographer.

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